Thinking About A Destination Wedding

A growing trend among engaged couples is to have a “destination wedding” that combines the wedding ceremony and reception with a fabulous “getaway” vacation. For the bride and groom, this approach saves a lot of time and expense. Popular destination sites may have wedding planners on staff to help arrange the details, and may offer package deals on food and lodging for wedding guests.

Brides- and grooms-to-be should be sensitive to the fact that a destination wedding shifts the cost burden from them to their guests. For small weddings that include only family and close friends, this may be perfectly acceptable. In a tight economy, however, fewer people are able to afford the splurge that goes along with a destination holiday affair.

This sensitivity means inviting only those guests whom you truly wish to share your special day, providing enough time for guests to make adequate travel arrangements, looking for the best deals on travel and not placing additional burdens on guests. In some cases, you may need to leave sufficient time for guests to acquire the necessary travel documents. Check with the Department of Foreign Affairs And Trade to see how long it takes them to issue a passport.

Work with the wedding venue to ensure that you have all of the proper paperwork and authorisation to wed legally in the country of your choice. Australia will recognise weddings that take place in other countries, as long as they are legally valid in the country in which they were performed, and if the marriage would be legal if it had been performed in Australia. Exceptions to this policy include marriages where one party is already legally married to someone else; marriages where one or both parties have not reached the age of 18; marriage among first degree relatives; same-sex marriages; marriages where at least one party was incapable of giving consent through fraud, mistake or incapacity; and marriages between persons whose overseas divorce is not recognised in Australia.

Your destination may require a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage. If so, the certificate can be obtained from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, or from the local Australian Consular Office for a fee of $90. Consular offices do not solemnise marriages any longer.

If your spouse is not an Australian citizen, marriage does not automatically confer citizenship on him or her, nor does it guarantee entry into Australia. Consult with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on all immigration matters.

Keywords: Reception Venues, Weddingblog, Wedding

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